Fire Emblem’s New Among Us-Style Game Is a Letdown
▼ Summary
– Nintendo released a new free-to-play mobile game called Fire Emblem Shadows, which incorporates social deduction similar to Among Us.
– The core gameplay is a shallow auto-battler where characters fight automatically, requiring minimal player input or strategy.
– The social deduction element is poorly executed, as players are matched with strangers and cannot communicate, making accusations arbitrary.
– The game is filled with typical free-to-play mechanics like a season pass, multiple currencies, and gacha systems for unlocking characters.
– The reviewer concludes the game is fundamentally flawed and recommends waiting for the next mainline series entry, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave, coming to Switch 2.
The recent launch of Fire Emblem Shadows brings a social deduction twist to the beloved tactical series, but this mobile spin-off fails to capture the strategic depth that defines the franchise. Available now as a free download on iOS and Android, the game attempts to blend Among Us-style deception with Fire Emblem’s classic combat, yet the execution feels shallow and underwhelming.
Gameplay revolves around three players tackling a common enemy, with the twist that one participant is secretly a traitor. After the initial skirmish, everyone votes on who they believe the saboteur is. The concept sounds promising, but the reality is a letdown. Instead of the thoughtful, turn-based tactics fans expect, combat is almost entirely automated. Your character moves and attacks on their own, leaving you to occasionally select from a small set of cooldown-based abilities, like a healing spell or a special attack. You can literally win a match without pressing a single button, reducing the experience to watching chibi-style figures clash with minimal input.
The social deduction element is equally disappointing. Since there is no voice or text chat, identifying the traitor comes down to noticing who might have “accidentally” targeted you during the fight. The outcome of a correct guess is negligible, often just a slight health boost for the next round. This lack of meaningful consequence strips the deception mechanic of any tension or excitement. The magic of a game like Among Us comes from the paranoia and banter between friends; here, you’re paired with silent strangers online, making the entire process feel pointless.
Compounding these issues is a predictable free-to-play structure. Fire Emblem Shadows is packed with gacha mechanics, a season pass, multiple currencies, and a roster of unlockable characters and weapons. Spotting a familiar face like Dimitri from Three Houses might spark a moment of recognition, but the prospect of grinding or paying to acquire him is discouraging.
While it’s always interesting to see Nintendo experiment with its IPs on mobile, this entry feels like a misstep. The core gameplay is passive, the social interaction is nonexistent, and the monetization model is aggressively standard. If you’re craving a genuine Fire Emblem experience, you’re better off waiting for the next major console installment, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave, which is slated for the Switch 2 next year.
(Source: Eurogamer)
